Inkscape keyboard shortcuts

Inkscape is a free, open-source vector graphics editor used for logos, icons, illustrations and SVG work. Because almost every tool and path operation has a single-key or two-key shortcut, keyboard fluency in Inkscape is the difference between fighting menus and drawing at the speed of thought. This cheat sheet covers 93 default shortcuts for Windows and Mac.

Tools

Selector tool	`SS`
Node tool	`NN`
Rectangle tool	`RR`
Ellipse / circle tool	`EE`
Star / polygon tool	`**`
Spiral tool	`II`
3D box tool	`XX`
Bezier (pen) tool	`BB`
Pencil (freehand) tool	`PP`
Calligraphy tool	`CC`
Text tool	`TT`
Gradient tool	`GG`
Dropper (pick color) tool	`F7F7`
Zoom tool	`ZZ`
Tweak tool	`WW`
Spray tool	`AA`
Eraser tool	`Shift`+`EShift`+`E`
Paint bucket (fill) tool	`UU`
Connector tool	`OO`
Measure tool	`MM`

File

New document	`Ctrl`+`NCmd`+`N`
Open document	`Ctrl`+`OCmd`+`O`
Save	`Ctrl`+`SCmd`+`S`
Save as	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`SCmd`+`Shift`+`S`
Import file	`Ctrl`+`ICmd`+`I`
Export dialog (PNG and more)	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`ECmd`+`Shift`+`E`
Print	`Ctrl`+`PCmd`+`P`
Document properties	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`DCmd`+`Shift`+`D`
Quit Inkscape	`Ctrl`+`QCmd`+`Q`

Edit & Selection

Undo	`Ctrl`+`ZCmd`+`Z`
Redo	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`ZCmd`+`Shift`+`Z`
Cut	`Ctrl`+`XCmd`+`X`
Copy	`Ctrl`+`CCmd`+`C`
Paste (at mouse pointer)	`Ctrl`+`VCmd`+`V`
Paste in place	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`VCmd`+`Option`+`V`
Paste style	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`VCmd`+`Shift`+`V`
Duplicate	`Ctrl`+`DCmd`+`D`
Create clone	`Alt`+`DOption`+`D`
Unlink clone	`Shift`+`Alt`+`DShift`+`Option`+`D`
Select all (current layer)	`Ctrl`+`ACmd`+`A`
Select all in all layers	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`ACmd`+`Option`+`A`
Invert selection	`!!`
Deselect	`EscapeEscape`
Select next object below (click through)	`Alt`+`ClickOption`+`Click`
Cycle through objects	`TabTab`
Find / replace	`Ctrl`+`FCmd`+`F`
Delete selection	`DeleteDelete`

Object & Z-Order

Group selection	`Ctrl`+`GCmd`+`G`
Ungroup	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`GCmd`+`Shift`+`G`
Raise to top	`HomeHome`
Lower to bottom	`EndEnd`
Raise one step	`Page UpPage Up`
Lower one step	`Page DownPage Down`
Fill & Stroke dialog	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`FCmd`+`Shift`+`F`
Object properties dialog	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`OCmd`+`Shift`+`O`
Align & Distribute dialog	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`ACmd`+`Shift`+`A`
Transform dialog	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`MCmd`+`Shift`+`M`
XML editor	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`XCmd`+`Shift`+`X`
Preferences	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`PCmd`+`Shift`+`P`

Transform

Move selection	`Arrow keysArrow keys`
Move in larger steps	`Shift`+`Arrow keysShift`+`Arrow keys`
Scale down / up	`, / ., / .`
Rotate 90 degrees counterclockwise / clockwise	`[ / ][ / ]`
Flip horizontally	`HH`
Flip vertically	`VV`
Constrain movement to axis (while dragging)	`Ctrl`+`DragCmd`+`Drag`
Scale preserving aspect ratio (while dragging handle)	`Ctrl`+`DragCmd`+`Drag`

Path Operations

Object to path	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`CCmd`+`Shift`+`C`
Stroke to path	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`CCmd`+`Option`+`C`
Union	`Ctrl`+`+Cmd`+`+`
Difference	`Ctrl`+`-Cmd`+`-`
Intersection	`Ctrl`+`Cmd`+``
Exclusion	`Ctrl`+`^Cmd`+`^`
Division	`Ctrl`+`/Cmd`+`/`
Cut path	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`/Cmd`+`Option`+`/`
Combine paths	`Ctrl`+`KCmd`+`K`
Break apart	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`KCmd`+`Shift`+`K`
Inset path	`Ctrl`+`(Cmd`+`(`
Outset path	`Ctrl`+`)Cmd`+`)`
Simplify path	`Ctrl`+`LCmd`+`L`
Reverse path direction	`Shift`+`RShift`+`R`

View & Zoom

Zoom in / out	`/ -/ -`
Zoom to 100%	`11`
Zoom to 50%	`22`
Zoom to drawing	`33`
Zoom to page	`55`
Toggle fullscreen	`F11F11`
Toggle grid	`##`
Toggle snapping	`%%`
Toggle dialogs visibility	`F12F12`

Layers

Layers dialog	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`LCmd`+`Shift`+`L`
Move selection to layer above	`Shift`+`Page UpShift`+`Page Up`
Move selection to layer below	`Shift`+`Page DownShift`+`Page Down`

Put your top Inkscape shortcuts on real keys

The five Inkscape actions most worth binding to a physical macropad key:

Ctrl+Shift+CCmd+Shift+C Object to path The gateway to every path operation; used constantly when converting shapes and text before editing nodes.

Ctrl++Cmd++ Union paths The most-used boolean operation in logo and icon work, awkward to hit on the keyboard.

Ctrl+DCmd+D Duplicate Vector workflows lean on duplicating elements dozens of times per session.

Ctrl+Shift+ECmd+Shift+E Export dialog One press to jump straight to PNG export at the end of every iteration loop.

Ctrl+Shift+FCmd+Shift+F Fill & Stroke dialog The dialog you open most; a dedicated key keeps color and stroke tweaks instant.

I hand-build small-batch programmable macropads (QMK/VIA) in Barcelona. One press, any shortcut, any app.

See the macropads

Inkscape shortcut FAQs

How do I see all keyboard shortcuts in Inkscape?

Open Edit, then Preferences (Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows, Cmd+Shift+P on Mac) and go to the Interface, Keyboard section to browse and remap every binding. The full default map is also published in Inkscape's built-in help under Keys and Mouse Reference.

Can I change or remap Inkscape keyboard shortcuts?

Yes. In Preferences under Interface, Keyboard you can search any command, click its shortcut cell and press a new key combination. Custom maps are saved per user and can be exported as an XML file.

What is the shortcut for boolean operations like union in Inkscape?

Select two or more paths, then press Ctrl++ for Union, Ctrl+- for Difference, Ctrl+* for Intersection and Ctrl+^ for Exclusion (Cmd on Mac). Shapes like rectangles work too because Inkscape converts them for the operation.

Why do H and V flip my object instead of typing?

Single-letter shortcuts are active whenever the canvas has focus and no text object is being edited. If you are in the Text tool editing text, letters type normally; press Escape first to leave text editing before using single-key commands.

How do I zoom to fit the whole drawing in Inkscape?

Press 3 to zoom to the entire drawing or 5 to zoom to the page. Press 1 to return to 100% zoom.